Sanctuary
by Heather Giesbrecht
Summary: Once Father had taken him here, but now he was alone and with very good reason - Amaterasu. Loki/Amaterasu, Loki/Thor. Complete.


**Sanctuary**

 _975 A.D._

Loki clutched Father's hand and looked up, "What are we doing here, Father ?" Tik-tok, tik-tok went the strange little green fountains that stood before Sasa Sanctuary's gates.

It was becoming rare now that he saw Father in casual clothes, but tonight Father had dressed in a simple, dark-brown tunic, grey cloak, and black-pants. Father tilted his head, the slowly greying hair fluttering while the blue eye gleamed. "We, Loki, are taking a short break from court life. When I was your age my father took me here as did his father with him and so it has gone for over twenty thousand years. Sasa Sanctuary is as its name suggests a place of peace, only the pure of heart are granted access here."

"Does that mean we're special ?"

Father crouched then reached to cup his nape and pressed their foreheads together. "You will always be special to me, Loki, for so many reasons and I am incredibly lucky to count you as my son." Like with all emotional things whether it were to Mother, Thor, or himself, Father hesitated before saying, "I love you."

A grin spread across his lips, "I love you too, Father." then he turned and dragged Father inside to gasp, "What is that ?" He couldn't believe his eyes for stood behind the desk was a sparrow. It was not a little sparrow like the ones outside the Sanctuary, but his size and it was wearing clothing too.

"That is one of the Sparrow Clan, Loki, they run this place. Now, go hang up your cloak while I pay for our room."

He let go of Father's hand and sprinted across the white...uh, bamboo floor toward the cloak area as he did so he nearly ran into a sparrow clad in an amethyst shirt. The sparrow spun throwing the bowl of rice he held into the air to catch it as he completed the circle.

Loki bit his lip, scuffing his right foot, "I'm sorry, I'd not mean to scare you."

The sparrow chuckled and clicked his beak, "It is not a problem, young master, you're not the first to nearly run into someone here. I am Tsuki Yasu, Yasu, Sasa Sanctuary's Head Server."

"I am Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard !"

"Ah, I thought that man looked familiar, so little Odin is all grown up."

With all the stern seriousness of child convinced he's right Loki countered, "Little ? Yasu, Father has never been little, he's absolutely huge, he always has been."

"Everyone was a child once, even your father, unlikely as it seems to you. I remember he used to run around here and cause all sorts of mischief. In particular he liked to steal rice from the kitchen and put it in the Mankei-neko."

That news was hard for Loki's young mind to believe with how serious Father, so he shook his head dismissing it. He unclasped his emerald cloak and jumped to hang it up. He startled as Father caught him mid-air then put him down, after Father'd hung up his own cloak they ascended the staircase to the second floor. As they turned to the left heading for the last room and passed a golden statue of a cat with one paw raised Father chuckled. Understandably, his mouth dropped open, he was like Father after all.

 _1011 A.D._

The oil lamp cast soft flickering shadows over the rice paper walls as Loki sighed in contentment. His hands laced behind his head, he lay upon the futon staring up at the ceiling. Once Father had taken him here, but now he was alone and with very good reason - Amaterasu. Yes, Sif and the rest of his detractors called his and Amaterasu's relationship bestiality, but he cared not. What right had they to say such when none of them had ever contemplated a long-term relationship ?

The sun goddess was not scared of his magic, his intelligence nor of Thor's odd intensity when the subject of their relationship came up. Well, he admitted that he didn't really help himself what with teasing Thor - the little jests about their closeness, a slight emphasize on certain words and actions. What could he say ? He was the God of Mischief and it was just so fun watching Thor work himself up. He loved Thor, he did, but he loved Amaterasu slightly more than his brother. Even if Amaterasu hadn't been in his life he would've broken Gungnir with how women he'd be knocking out to get his chance.

Hmm, he was glad that it was Amaterasu and not Thor. With Amaterasu he could tell everything that happened whether it were a book he'd read, a spell he'd worked years to master, anything so long as it was new and she would listen, Thor didn't like listening. He raised his head slightly as the paper screen door slid open and Yasu appeared with the Sasa Rice he'd ordered. Laughter burst from his lips as Amaterasu raced past Yasu making him spin, throw the rice and catch the rice as he had so long ago.

The white wolf murmured, "Hello, Loki." then nuzzled and licked his cheek.

He couldn't resist asking, "Have we been a good girl, Ammy ?"

Amaterasu grinned her tail flicking lazily, "I have, but you haven't been a good boy, so mischievous."

"Oh dear, whatever shall I do ?"

"Read me a tale."

"Hmm-hmm, 'A Tail of Asgard', you mean ?"

"Later, perhaps."

So, he sat up, took up one of the new books Mother'd gotten him, opened it, and started to read as she lay down on his lap. He enjoyed reading and Amaterasu, but it was very hard to enjoy both simultaneously. Later, indeed.


End file.
